Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to touch-sensitive display screens and interactive touchscreen gestures.
Background of the Related Art
The advent of the personal computer (PC) in the latter half of the twentieth century led to the widespread use of electronic devices to digitally store and process information. The technologies used in computers and other electronic devices have continued to advance, aided by economies of scale, and with ongoing reinvestment in product research and development. Factors such as increasing miniaturization and related improvements in memory density and processor speed, along with vastly improved electronic displays and user input peripherals, have led to the development of many different electronic consumer products. Modern electronic devices are now capable of storing large amounts of information in digital form, even on very compact, portable devices. Popular portable electronic devices with built-in or otherwise connected touchscreens currently include laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones, digital music players, and handheld electronic game consoles.
Portable electronic computers, such as smartphones and tablet computers, increasingly incorporate a touch-sensitive display screen (“touchscreen”) as the primary input device. A touchscreen is an interactive visual display that functions as both an input device and an output device. A touchscreen combines the visual output of a display screen with circuitry that allows for electronic input responsive to touching a display area of the touchscreen. One reason touchscreens are commonly used on portable electronic devices is that they reduce or eliminate the need for mechanical input elements, such as a physical keyboard. Reducing the number of mechanical parts increases the reliability and portability of these devices, while reducing cost. However, the use of touchscreens on compact electronic devices presents some unique challenges, such as how to select items like virtual buttons that appear tiny when scaled down to fit a compact touchscreen.